Bill requires work toward graduation for teen driving privileges

Today, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a measure (H. 3645) that will create an incentive for teens to work their way towards a high school diploma. In an effort to combat our state’s high dropout rate, lawmakers are seeking to combine a teens desire to drive with their need to succeed in the classroom.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell said, “Dropout rates in South Carolina are far too high and this is a persuasive tool we can use to turn those numbers around. Under this graduation plan drafted by Rep. Tom Young, students will see an immediate consequence for dropping out of high school. Unfortunately, many students do not recognize the long term effect on their lives that dropping out of high school causes.”

The bill applies to South Carolina students below the age of 18 who are eligible and meet all other requirements needed to obtain a SCDL. Students who drop out of school or who are habitually truant will have their driving privileges revoked until they have proven that they are committed to their education and eventual graduation.

Representative Tom Young (R – Aiken), the lead sponsor of the bill, said, “The dropout rate perpetuates social ills such as crime, teenage pregnancy, infant mortality juvenile delinquency and high unemployment. This legislation is not the ‘silver bullet’ to the problem but it is a positive step toward encouraging young people to stay in school and get at least a high school education.”

The House of Representatives met this past week. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Driving and High School Dropouts: This bill prohibits possession of a driver’s license until age 18 unless the young person is enrolled in, or has completed, high school. The bill does have a hardship provision for some limited exceptions. We worked with representatives from both the Department of Education and Department of Motor Vehicles to redraft the bill. I presented the amended version in subcommittee this past Thursday morning. The subcommittee unanimously approved the bill. We then were successful in getting unanimous consent on the floor of the House to move the bill to the House calendar for this Tuesday bypassing a full committee hearing. Because of the upcoming May 1 “crossover deadline” for House bills going from the House to the Senate, this move was critical if the bill is to pass the House and have a chance to become law this year. This week, we will be working hard to get the bill passed. All of the Aiken House delegation are cosponsoring the bill with me including Reps. Jim Stewart, Bill Clyburn, Roland Smith, Don Smith, and Kit Spires. Although this bill is not the “silver bullet” to the high school dropout problem, it is part of the solution in our effort to combat the high school dropout rate in the short term.

Warrantless Searches: This bill allows warrantless searches of people on either probation or parole. The bill has substantial support from law enforcement agencies and local governments across the state as it is widely viewed as a way for authorities to combat criminal activities by repeat offenders. Both the House and Senate passed the bill earlier this year. Governor Sanford vetoed this bill. The Senate then overrode the veto. However, this past week, the House failed to override the Governor’s veto. Another vote is expected soon in the House to try to override the veto. I support overriding the veto.

Cigarette Tax: The House agreed to a 50 cents a pack increase to the cigarette tax. Under the plan, most of the money (about $130 Million) will go to fund Medicaid programs. A fraction will go toward cancer research and smoking cessation programs. A push to lower the tax to 30 cents failed in the House. The House removed any funding for projects in communities located along I-95. The bill now heads back to the Senate. Governor Sanford is expected to veto the bill. A two thirds vote of both the House and Senate will be necessary to override the Governor’s veto. If the veto is not overridden, then the cigarette tax will stay at 7 cents a pack for at least another year. I voted for the 50 cent increase based largely upon the overwhelming feedback from hundreds of people in District 81. Some interesting facts that you may be interested in on this issue are as follows: 34% of people in South Carolina over the age of 18 smoke. In North Carolina, that number is 29% and in Georgia that number is 28%. The health-related costs to taxpayers in South Carolina of people who have smoking-related illnesses is very substantial. At 7 cents a pack, South Carolina’s cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation and has not changed in nearly 35 years. North Carolina’s current cigarette tax is 45 cents a pack. Georgia’s current cigarette tax is 35 cents a pack. Both states have recently considered legislation to raise their cigarette tax again.

Sprinklers Bill: This bill did not come up this past week. I expect that we will get to it this week. To recap, South Carolina has adopted certain portions of the model residential building code effective January 1, 2011. One of the requirements of the code is that newly constructed single family homes after January 1, 2011 will have to have sprinklers installed in them. The cost can add several thousand dollars to the expense of building a new home. Legislation is pending which eliminates the sprinklers requirement in new single family homes. It should be noted that the sprinkler requirement will not apply to new mobile homes. I plan to support the bill to eliminate the sprinkler requirement.

Handguns Stored Under the Seat: The Full Judiciary Committee did not meet last week to take up this bill that would allow people to store a handgun under the seat in their car. Current law allows a handgun to be stored in the glove compartment, console, or trunk of a motor vehicle. I am talking with law enforcement and others about this bill to form a position. I received lots of feedback on this bill last week.

Cumbee Center: Recently, an issue arose as to whether state law would allow local government and local citizens to approve local option sales tax revenue for infrastructure improvements at the Cumbee Center in Aiken. (The Cumbee Center provides assistance to domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Aiken County has the highest rate of domestic violence incidents in the State.) Because the issue involved an interpretation of state law and I represent the area where the Cumbee Center is located, I requested an Attorney General Opinion for an interpretation of the statute. Last week, the Attorney General Opinion came back stating that state law would allow local government and local citizens to use local money for infrastructure improvements at the Cumbee Center if approved in the local option sales tax referendum. Whether that happens or not is a decision for local government and local citizens in the Local Option Sales Tax process.

State Budget: The Senate is still working on its version of the State Budget. I will provide more information when the Senate bill comes back to the House in the next couple of weeks.

Aiken High School Culinary Team at State House: Aiken High teacher Jean Gorthy and her students from Aiken High’s Culinary Arts Class were at the State House on Wednesday cooking as part of the annual “Taste of South Carolina” event sponsored by the State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (“PRT”). The Aiken High team was the only cooking team from any traditional high school in South Carolina invited to participate in the event. They were able to attend with the assistance of a grant from PRT and food donations from Houndslake Country Club. They did a great job!

SCE&G Rate Hike Request – Local Hearing Scheduled: The State Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public hearing on SCE&G’s proposed rate hike request on Thursday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. at Aiken Tech. The PSC will have to approve the rate hike request. Currently, the PSC has public hearings scheduled in Columbia (May 24), Summerville (April 26), and Charleston (April 27). I will not be able to attend the hearing that night, but I will be provided a summary of the comments. If you want me to know your thoughts, please let me know.

Federal Government Settlement with Norfolk Southern: Recently, the Federal Government proposed a settlement with Norfolk Southern as to the Government’s lawsuit for environmental contamination after the 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville. The proposed terms of the settlement include $4 Million being paid by Norfolk Southern to the Government’s Oil Spill and Hazardous Waste funds. Also, the local communities affected by the spill will receive 3,000 fish released into Langley Pond and some trees to be planted along Horse Creek. I filed an objection during the 30 day period to object to the proposed settlement. A public hearing is expected in Aiken at the Federal Courthouse when the Federal Court considers whether to approve the settlement. When I find out when the hearing will be, I will post it in this column. The proposed Settlement may be examined on the following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent-Decrees.html.

Road Issues: If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. In the past three months, I have received many different reports of problems and I have relayed those to the appropriate agencies.

Responding to Email Feedback: I have received a large volume of email feedback in the past two weeks. I am responding to it as quickly as I can. Please know that if you have not heard back from me, you will soon.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues.

South Carolina teens who drop out of school or skip too many classes would lose their driver’s license until they’re 18 under a bill cruising through the House.

A House Education subcommittee unanimously approved the measure Thursday morning. The House then agreed to let the bill skip the full committee and come directly to the floor for debate. Legislators hope to move the bill to the Senate so it has a chance of passing this year.

“We’re trying to fast-track it,” said Education Committee Chairman Phil Owens, R-Easley. “This is an important bill that can have a positive impact.”

Its sponsor, Rep. Tom Young, has called it a short-term solution to the state’s long-term problem of too many students not graduating. He believes threatening to yank students’ driving privileges would be a powerful incentive for them to stay in school.

Students who return to school or enroll in GED classes could get their license back.

South Carolina’s on-time graduation rate is 74 percent.

At least 20 states have passed similar laws, including neighboring Georgia and North Carolina, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. West Virginia was the first to pass it in 1988, followed by Florida a year later.

Last week, the subcommittee delayed voting on the measure, saying too many questions remained on implementing the idea.

Changes approved Thursday to erase opposition from school groups included keeping the legal dropout age at 17, rather than increasing it to 18 – a change officials feared would be costly at a time of deep budget cuts – and delaying when the law would take effect, to Aug. 1, 2011.

Under the tweaked bill, the driver’s license of a student who misses seven unexcused days of class, drops out or has been expelled will be suspended. Public, private and home schools would be required to electronically report the absences of 15- to 18-year-olds to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which would send a letter notifying the teen of the suspension.

A student’s parent could appeal for an exception if the teen needs a license to get to work or to drive a sick family member to medical treatments. If approved, the waiver would allow a limited license that allows the teen to drive from home to work or to medical appointments during certain hours and along certain routes.

That restricted license would cost $100, with 80 percent going to the DMV to offset the law’s cost.

Rep. Mike Anthony, a teacher and coach, said he supported the idea, though he generally opposes putting more mandates on schools.

“Once one or two kids realize they could lose their license, it could change conduct in school,” said Anthony, D-Union.

House members are pushing the bill through to get past a timing hurdle. Bills not passed in one chamber by the end of next week must get two-thirds approval to be considered by the other.

The Sun News

Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/04/23/1437370/dropout-bill-heads-to-floor.html#ixzz0lvSqnuLE

The House of Representatives reconvened this past week after a two week furlough. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Driving and High School Dropouts: This bill prohibits possession of a driver’s license until age 18 unless the young person is enrolled in, or has completed, high school. The bill does have a hardship provision for some limited exceptions. The bill received a hearing in subcommittee this past Wednesday. Both the Department of Education and Department of Motor Vehicles expressed concerns over the current draft. At the committee’s request, I redrafted the bill and will present it again this Tuesday. It is critical that the bill come out of committee this week in order to have a chance to pass the General Assembly this year. Although this bill is not the “silver bullet” to the high school dropout problem, it is part of the solution in our effort to combat the high school dropout rate in the short term.

Sprinklers Bill: After writing about this bill last week, I received lots of comments most of which were in favor of eliminating the requirement for new residential construction to have sprinkler systems installed. To recap, South Carolina has adopted certain portions of the model residential building code effective January 1, 2011. One of the requirements of the code is that newly constructed single family homes after January 1, 2011 will have to have sprinklers installed in them. The cost can add several thousand dollars to the expense of building a new home. Legislation is pending which eliminates the sprinklers requirement in new single family homes. It should be noted that the sprinkler requirement will not apply to new mobile homes. I plan to support the bill to eliminate the sprinkler requirement. The bill may come up this week.

General Reserve Fund: The House passed a bill raising the general reserve fund requirements from three percent to five percent. The bill has already passed the Senate and now heads to the Governor for his consideration.

Handguns Stored Under the Seat: The Full Judiciary Committee will consider a bill this week that would allow people to store a handgun under the seat in their car. Current law allows a handgun to be stored in the glove compartment, console, or trunk of a motor vehicle. I am talking with law enforcement and others about this bill to form a position. I welcome your feedback on this or any other bill.

Cigarette Tax: The Senate approved a 50 cents a pack increase to the cigarette tax. Under the Senate plan, most of the money (about $130 Million) will go to fund Medicaid programs. A fraction will go toward cancer research and smoking cessation programs. The Senate took out several “pork projects” which it had inserted in an earlier version of the bill. Because the Senate version is different from the bill that the House passed last year, the House will have to consider the Senate bill in the coming weeks.

Board of Trustee Elections: The General Assembly held elections for several college and university board of trustee seats this past Wednesday. While most of the seats were decided before the elections on Wednesday since many candidates withdrew prior to Wednesday’s elections, a handful of seats were not decided until Wednesday. One of the seats which received a substantial amount of media attention in recent weeks was the race for the 16th circuit seat on the USC Board of Trustees. Leah Moody, the only African American on the USC Board, was running to hold on to the seat which she had held since being appointed by the Governor to fill the seat last year after the resignation of the previous trustee holding the seat. By a vote of 80-77, Moody held on to the seat this past week. I voted for Moody.

Splash Blending Bill: The House by a near unanimous vote overrode Governor Sanford’s veto of the splash blending bill. This bill would allow small gas and oil companies and distributors to blend ethanol in South Carolina. Current law only allows large companies like BP and Exxon to blend ethanol in South Carolina. If the Senate overrides the Governor’s veto, this bill should help lower the price of some types of gas in our state.

Speaking in Aiken: Last Tuesday, I spoke at the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society induction at USC Aiken. If you know of a group that would like me to speak, please let me know.

Ola Hitt’s 100th Birthday Celebration: On Saturday, I attended Ola Hitt’s 100th Birthday Celebration at Aiken’s First Baptist Church. While there, I presented Ms. Hitt with a House resolution honoring her for her many contributions to greater Aiken and to South Carolina. Over two hundred people attended the event to honor Ms. Hitt.

Federal Government Settlement with Norfolk Southern: Recently, the Federal Government proposed a settlement with Norfolk Southern as to the Government’s lawsuit for environmental contamination after the 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville. The proposed terms of the settlement include $4 Million being paid by Norfolk Southern to the Government’s Oil Spill and Hazardous Waste funds. Also, the local communities affected by the spill will receive 3,000 fish released into Langley Pond and some trees to be planted along Horse Creek. I filed an objection during the 30 day period to object to the proposed settlement. A public hearing is expected in Aiken at the Federal Courthouse when the Federal Court considers whether to approve the settlement. When I find out when the hearing will be, I will post it in this column. The proposed Settlement may be examined on the following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent-Decrees.html.

Celebrate Aiken!: I attended the Jim Harrison “Scenes of Aiken” Exhibition on March 31 at the Aiken Center for the Arts on Laurens Street. The exhibit will be displayed through May 8. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to do so. Mr. Harrison’s art includes over 20 new originals of local scenes here in greater Aiken.

SCE&G Rate Hike Request – Local Hearing Scheduled: The State Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public hearing on SCE&G’s proposed rate hike request on Thursday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. at Aiken Tech. The PSC will have to approve the rate hike request. Currently, the PSC has public hearings scheduled in Columbia (May 24), Summerville (April 26), and Charleston (April 27). I will not be able to attend the hearing that night, but I will be provided a summary of the comments. If you want me to know your thoughts, please let me know.

Road Issues: If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. In the past three months, I have received many different reports of problems and I have relayed those to the appropriate agencies.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.

South Carolina teens who drop out of school or habitually skip their classes would lose their driving privileges until they’re 18 under a bill pushed by a freshman lawmaker.

Rep. Tom Young called it a short-term solution to the state’s long-term problem of too many students not graduating. He believes threatening to yank the rite of passage of truant youth would be a powerful incentive for them to stay in school.

“It’s time we do something about it,” said Young, R-Aiken, noting that whenever he talked about the idea on the campaign trail in 2008, students were in rapt attention. “A lot of problems in South Carolina stem from the fact that so many people are not adequately educated.”

Under the proposal, co-sponsored by 45 House members of both parties, a student’s parent could appeal for an exception if the teen needs a license to get to work or to drive a sick family member to medical treatments.

Officials at the S.C. Education Department say the idea has potential, and if it works, would benefit a state where the on-time graduation rate is 74 percent. But they note that moving up the age when students can drop out, from 17 to 18, will cost money at a time when education faces drastic cuts.

“The economy overshadows anything this year,” said Scott Price of the state School Boards Association. “Anything that causes additional staff costs should get a closer look. … Right now, districts are laying off and furloughing. We can’t add more at this point.”

Young said legislators must consider the long-term costs.

“The cost of paying for high school dropouts far exceeds the cost of incentives to keep them in school,” he said.

A House Education panel last week postponed voting on the bill, saying too many questions remain. The subcommittee chairman, Rep. Lester Branham, said the idea still needs lots of work on how its implemented.

“It will not cure the problem of truancy,” said Branham, D-Lake City. “It’s really putting a burden on schools to enforce laws about drivers’ licenses.”

At least 20 states have passed similar laws, including neighboring Georgia and North Carolina, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. West Virginia was the first to pass it in 1988, followed by Florida a year later.

Their effectiveness is a matter of debate.

Georgia’s graduation rate has improved since lawmakers passed a 1997 law allowing the license suspension of a teen who misses 10 or more consecutive days of school without permission. But Garry McGiboney, an associate superintendent for that state’s education agency, attributes the improvement to a larger effort that can’t be directly correlated to the law.

A Florida report shows that of the 8,400 teens whose licenses were suspended in 2007-2008 for dropping out or accumulating 15 unexcused absences over 90 days, 96 percent of them re-enrolled.

The issue has popped up periodically in South Carolina over the years. Most recently, a Senate bill pre-filed in December 2006 for the 2007-2008 session never even made it to the chamber floor.

An economic study commission created by former Gov. Carroll Campbell recommended it in 1989.

“The current dropout rates perpetuate many social ills such as crime, teenage pregnancy, infant mortality and health problems,” it reads, asking lawmakers to approve a bill by 1991.

There was never any effective follow-up to the report, and no legislator championed the proposal, said Phil Noble, founder of the nonprofit Palmetto Project.

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/04/19/2099282/sc-bill-no-driving-for-dropouts.html#ixzz0lYRdD3OQ

I hope that you and your family enjoyed Masters week which was also Spring Break here in Aiken County for the schools. The House of Representatives did not meet this past week. The House is on furlough and reconvenes this week on April 13. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Cross Over Deadline: May 1 is the “Cross Over Deadline” in the General Assembly. This means that for any bill that is still pending to have a chance to pass this year, the bill has to pass either the House or the Senate on or before May 1 and then go to the other body for consideration. If passage of the bill does not meet that deadline, then the bill essentially dies for the year unless it can be tacked on to another piece of legislation that makes the deadline. Because of the “Cross Over Deadline,” both the House and the Senate will be busy in the coming weeks.

Driving and High School Dropouts: I expect this bill to come up this week in subcommittee as we try to beat the “Cross Over Deadline.” This bill prohibits possession of a driver’s license until age 18 unless the young person is enrolled in, or has completed, high school. The bill does have a hardship provision for some limited exceptions. I am confident that if it becomes law this year, then it will be a way that we can combat the high school dropout rate in the short term.

Sprinklers Bill: South Carolina has adopted certain portions of the model residential building code effective January 1, 2011. One of the requirements of the code is that newly constructed single family homes after January 1, 2011 will have to have sprinklers installed in them. The cost can add several thousand dollars to the expense of building a new home. Legislation is pending which would eliminate the sprinklers requirement in new single family homes. It should be noted that the sprinkler requirement will not apply to new mobile homes. Compared to the other 49 states, South Carolina has one of the highest percentages of its citizens living in mobile homes. I am planning to support the bill to eliminate the sprinkler requirement. I welcome your feedback on this or any other issue.

Prescribed Burning: Last year, Horry County saw a huge forest fire which burned thousands of acres of forestland and also burned many homes in the greater Myrtle Beach area. Forestry officials working with many conservation groups and other parties have crafted a bill which will change the liability standard in current state law to encourage more landowners to use prescribed burning techniques. The bill will be on the House calendar when we return. In Aiken, prescribed burning is used in Hitchcock Woods each year to burn undergrowth. I have spoken with the Hitchcock Woods staff and others about the pending legislation and the benefits of prescribed burning. I will support the bill.

Census: By now, you should have received your census form in the mail. I strongly encourage you to complete it and return it. Census data will determine how billions of dollars in federal aid to states is divided for highways, airports, Medicaid, housing, and business loans. Each gain or loss of 500,000 residents is worth about $1.5 Billion in federal aid to a state. Additionally, the Census data will be used to reapportion the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Right now, South Carolina is projected to gain one seat giving our state 7 members of the U.S. House instead of the current 6. Other states expected to gain seats are Georgia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Washington.

Federal Government Settlement with Norfolk Southern: In the past four columns, I wrote about the Federal Government’s proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern as to the Government’s lawsuit for environmental contamination after the 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville. The proposed terms of the settlement include $4 Million being paid by Norfolk Southern to the Government’s Oil Spill and Hazardous Waste funds. Also, the local communities affected by the spill will receive 3,000 fish released into Langley Pond and some trees to be planted along Horse Creek. I am very disappointed in the proposed terms and what is being offered to the local communities affected by the spill. Last week during the 30 day period to object to the proposed settlement, I filed an objection as an elected official representing much the affected area. A public hearing is expected in Aiken at the Federal Courthouse when the Federal Court considers whether to approve the settlement. We do not know the date of that hearing yet but will make sure it is in the local papers when we do know. The proposed Settlement may be examined on the following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent-Decrees.html.

Celebrate Aiken!: I attended the Jim Harrison “Scenes of Aiken” Exhibition on March 31 at the Aiken Center for the Arts on Laurens Street. The exhibit will be displayed through May 8. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to do so. Mr. Harrison’s art includes over 20 new originals of local scenes here in greater Aiken.

Small Business Development Center at USC Aiken: Recently, I visited the Small Business Development Center at USCA. This facility has a lot to offer both to existing small businesses and to those looking to start a business. If you are interested in these types of services, please check out the Center’s website at http://www.usca.edu/sbdc/.

SCE&G Rate Hike Request: Several Aiken County residents have contacted me and others on the legislative delegation about SCE&G’s proposed rate hike request. The State Public Service Commission (PSC) will have to approve the request. Currently, the PSC has public hearings scheduled in Columbia (May 24), Summerville (April 26), and Charleston (April 27). The Aiken County Legislative Delegation requested a public hearing to be held by the PSC here in Aiken County. As of now, we expect this hearing to be on May 6 in the early evening at a location to be determined.

Road Issues: If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. In the past two and a half months, I have received many different reports of problems and I have relayed those to the appropriate agencies.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.

Change. Reform. Jobs. Transparency. Taxpayer protection. Since I ran for office almost two years ago and started serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives in January 2009, these are the areas most asked of state government by people in our district and around South Carolina. To represent you at the S.C. House, I have been working hard with other like minded representatives to make changes toward improving our state government and the quality of life for all of us in South Carolina. Some areas of change that I have been working on with other members are as follows:

Spending Caps and Tax Reform. The budget shortfall of the last two years tells us that we need meaningful tax reform and a cap on future spending growth. We are headed toward comprehensive tax reform with the Tax Realignment Commission report due in November. The bill to cap future spending growth in the general fund and to set aside a larger amount of reserves for a rainy day can still pass this session. Reforming our tax code and reigning in the growth of state government will help the private sector in the creation of more jobs for our workforce.

Government Restructuring. At least six restructuring reports since 1920 have recommended that South Carolina restructure state government to improve efficiency and accountability. We must move further along with restructuring our state government. Bills establishing a Department of Administration; letting voters decide whether certain constitutional officers should be elected or appointed by the Governor; and reorganizing the Employment Security Commission into a Department of Workforce should pass this session.

High School Dropouts. During the next 20 years, over 85 percent of the jobs will require at least a high school education. The growing number of people dependent on state entitlement programs for assistance can be attributed, in part, to the lack of adequate educational attainment. We must address our state’s high school dropout rate both in the short and long terms. One short-term way to address the problem is through the passage of a bill to require all students under the age of 18 either to have graduated or to be enrolled in school in good standing in order to have the privilege of possessing a driver’s license. Dropping out of school early without a hardship would mean giving up the privilege of driving. This bill has to get a subcommittee hearing in the second week of April to have a chance to pass this year. Please let your representatives and senators know that you want this bill to pass this year.

Roads and Bridges. The chairman of the S.C. Department of Transportation recently stated that we are not adequately addressing our road and bridge infrastructure needs. Anyone who travels our roads can tell this as well. The South Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for the fourth largest state maintained road system in the nation. Yet, we have no recurring means of funding improvements for our roads and bridges. It is time for that to change. A bill can still pass this year for the maintenance and improvement of our state’s roads and bridges. If not, then addressing infrastructure needs must be top priority for 2011.

Zero Based Budgeting. We are facing an expected $980 million shortfall next year in the State’s General Fund. Since last year, I have joined other House members in advocating zero based budgeting principles to be used in the State Budget preparation process. Last week, the House voted to require such principles to be used starting with the 2011 budget. If the Senate concurs and the requirement becomes law, then taxpayers will benefit.

Transparency. We can restore some of the public’s trust in government by making roll call voting requirements permanent. Legislation doing this just passed the House and is now headed to the Senate.

Join me in calling on our representatives, our senators and our governor to make the above happen. In doing so, we can count 2010 as a year in which we made significant progress toward improving our state government despite the budget challenges that we face.

by Tom Young
Aiken Standard

The House of Representatives met this past week. The House will furlough and not meet for the next two weeks reconvening on April 13. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Town Meeting: I am holding a town meeting in Aiken on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Aiken County Council Building on Richland Avenue. The public is invited.

Roll Call Voting Bill: The bill that will require roll call voting on nearly every vote in the General Assembly passed the House unanimously on Thursday and now heads to the Senate. I am a cosponsor of the bill.

Employment Security Commission (ESC) Reform: The House and the Senate agreed on a final version of the ESC reform. The bill creates the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, terminates ESC commissioners and sets new elections for hearing officers, and restricts payouts for employees fired for gross misconduct. The bill now heads to the Governor and he is expected to sign it tomorrow. As to South Carolina’s loan from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits, the loan now is $832 Million. Legislation to restore the solvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund is being worked on in the Senate. Various proposals are being considered including one that reduces rates for companies that use the system the least and increases rates for companies that use the system the most.

Health Care Legislation: With the passage of the Health Care bill by Congress last week, a House subcommittee approved legislation that would let South Carolina voters decide this November whether to go along with the health care law just passed in Washington. The bill would set up a referendum to change the state constitution to block any fines or penalties for people who do not buy health insurance as the new federal law requires.

Sembler Mall Project in Jasper County: In recent weeks, I have been asked if I planned to support the state tax incentives being offered for the development of a large mall in Jasper County. I do not support those state tax incentives. The bill providing for the incentives has been in the Senate and has not reached the House. That bill was amended last week in the Senate to delete the state tax incentives in favor of a local option tax for funding the project. I have not seen the new version of the bill as of today. My understanding is that most of the bill’s opponents are in favor of the new version.

Tax Realignment Commission: The Commission met again this past Friday. A resolution to include Act 388 and its effects in the Commission’s review and final report was stripped out of the resolution in the Senate Finance Committee last week. (Act 388 is the property tax reform legislation of 2006 which exempted owner-occupied homes from state taxes to fund public school operations and replaced that income stream to public school operations with sales tax. During the Recession and subsequent decline in sales tax receipts, this move is widely credited with the decrease in funding to our public school operations.) The proposal to include Act 388 in the Commission’s review has wide support in the House. The Tax Realignment Commission information can be obtained at the www.scstatehouse.gov website.

Federal Government Settlement with Norfolk Southern: In the past two columns, I wrote about the Federal Government’s proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern as to the Government’s lawsuit for environmental contamination after the 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville. The proposed terms of the settlement include $4 Million being paid by Norfolk Southern to the Government’s Oil Spill and Hazardous Waste funds. Also, the local communities affected by the spill will receive 3,000 fish released into Langley Pond and some trees to be planted along Horse Creek. I am very disappointed in the proposed terms and what is being offered to the local communities affected by the spill. We are now in the 30 day period to object to the proposed settlement. I am filing an objection as an elected official representing much the affected area. To file an objection, you may do the following: The proposed Settlement may be examined on the following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent-Decrees.html. The Department of Justice will receive for a period of thirty (30) days from March 8, 2010 comments relating to the proposed Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and either e-mailed to pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611, and should refer to United States v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., D.J. Ref. 90-5-1-1-09024.

Visiting with Constituents at the State House: This past week, I spoke to 3rd grade students from Chukker Creek School who toured the State House. Additionally, many local residents who support USC Aiken joined Dr. Tom Hallman in Columbia on Wednesday at Carolina Day at the State House. I spoke with them too during their visit.

SCE&G Rate Hike Request: Several Aiken County residents have contacted me and others on the legislative delegation about SCE&G’s proposed rate hike request. The State Public Service Commission (PSC) will have to approve the request. Currently, the PSC has public hearings scheduled in Columbia (May 24), Summerville (April 26), and Charleston (April 27). I am joining other delegation members in requesting a public hearing to be held by the PSC here in Aiken County. If this request is granted, I will post more information when I know it.

Link to State Government Financial Report: South Carolina’s Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and his staff prepare an annual “Report to our Citizens.” This report is designed to provide concise, interesting, and understandable information about the financial condition and performance of State Government. The Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 can be obtained by clicking here.

Job Fair: Early last Fall, I asked the Employment Security Commission to host a Job Fair here in greater Aiken to assist those who are looking for work. That Job Fair was held this past Saturday, March 27 at Aiken Tech. Many local residents were assisted with finding employment.

Road Issues: If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. In the past two months, I have received many different reports of problems and I have relayed those to the appropriate agencies.

Filing for Reelection: I filed on Tuesday, March 16 for reelection to represent House District 81. I am grateful for the privilege to serve.

Happy Easter! Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.

Tom Young
649-0000 (o)
215-3631 (cell)

Update – March 15 to March 18, 2010

The House of Representatives met this past week and meets again this Tuesday, March 23. Because a lot happened this past week, this update is longer than some of recent ones. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Traffic Lights in Downtown Aiken: On Friday of this past week, SCDOT changed the traffic lights downtown back to the way that the signal lights operated before the changes that were implemented on March 1. This decision came after nearly three weeks of public discontent with the changes and many discussions between State Transportation officials, City of Aiken officials, and both Senator Ryberg and me. While the signal operations will revert back to the original patterns in place before the SCDOT project was initiated, several upgrades are being retained including the following: (1) the pedestrian signals and operations; and (2) the system installed to detect changes in traffic volume and to adjust signal timing (this will be especially helpful to someone stopped at a redlight in downtown late at night and no other traffic is present). The equipment for the upgrades not being retained will be taken down and used in other parts of the state. Since the decision was announced this past Thursday, I have received lots of feedback from many people who are pleased with the news and glad to return to patronize the shops and restaurants in downtown Aiken.

State Budget: The full House debated the budget this past week staying in session until 8 pm on Monday; 11 pm on Tuesday; and going all night Wednesday until adjourning about 8 am on Thursday morning. At $5.1 Billion, the proposed general fund budget is $2.0 Billion less than two years ago. I will address some of the areas that many people in District 81 have asked about as follows: [Read more...]

Update – March 9 to March 11, 2010

The House of Representatives met this past week and meets again this Monday, March 15 for the annual state budget debate. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Traffic Lights in Downtown Aiken: This past week, SCDOT made changes to its newly implemented traffic signal system downtown. Although some improvement has been seen with these changes, there are still problems. Again this past week, I was in touch with SCDOT officials as I received more constituent calls complaining about the new system. Many people said that they will not patronize downtown Aiken if the situation does not improve. This should concern all of us. I am working with Senator Ryberg and others to find a solution to the problems created by these changes. The SCDOT assured us last Tuesday that they will consider returning to the old system if the new changes are not effective in resolving the issues created by the implementation of the new system. As to the cost, SCDOT says that the cost was $320,000.00 and paid for with a federal grant.

State Budget: As reported last week, the full House will debate the budget this week starting the afternoon of March 15. At $5.1 Billion, the proposed general fund budget is about $2.0 Billion less than two years ago. House members received a copy of the proposed budget this past Tuesday. I assure you that I will do all that I can to make the best of this situation. Many folks have emailed me or called me asking about certain areas. I will address some of those as follows:

Budget Cuts to Disabilities and Special Needs and Department of Mental Health: To balance the general fund budget, substantial cuts have been proposed by the Ways and Means Committee to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Mental Health. These cuts will affect a lot of families who have members with disabilities, special needs, and mental health issues. Many people contacted me the past two weeks including members of the Tri-Development Board asking that I work to restore funding to these areas. I have spoken with the chairman and other members of the House Ways and Means Committee. It is expected that some money will be restored to this area during the budget debate this week.

Budget — Education: Education (K-12 and higher education) makes up 51% of the total general fund appropriations by functional group. When you add in Health and Social Rehabilitation, they together make up 76% of the total. (Click here to view graph.) Thus, when State Government has to find ways to cut nearly $2.0 Billion in General Fund budget items over the past two years, it is not likely that both education and health programs will not be touched. One area that the Ways and Means Committee cut is the National Board Certification program for teachers. Under the cut, the program will be closed to new enrollees.

Budget — General Fund/Other Funds/Federal Funds: The State Government Budget is composed of three sources of funds: Appropriated General Funds which this year total about $5.1 Billion and which is what the House will debate this week. Federal Funds which total $8.2 Billion and is money that comes from the Federal Government directly to state agencies. Other Funds which is largely fines and fee money that state agencies collect and which in large part goes to the operating expenses of the collecting agencies. The total this year is about $7.7 Billion. There needs to be more transparency and accountability over how the Other Funds are being spent.

Budget — Cigarette Tax: At 7 cents a pack, South Carolina’s cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation and has not changed since 1977. The national average is $1.34 per pack. Last year, the House approved a 50 cent a pack cigarette tax increase. That measure has stalled in the Senate. Two weeks ago, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a 30 cent a pack increase as part of its budget package in an effort to raise money to offset cuts to State Medicaid programs. A 30 cent a pack increase is expected to generate $88 Million in revenue. A 50 cent a pack increase is expected to generate $147 Million in revenue. I expect this issue to be debated on the House floor this week. When I ran for office, I said that I would support raising the cigarette tax. I voted for a cigarette tax increase last year and I plan to support an increase this year. Smoking related illnesses cost taxpayers a lot of money each year. Raising the cigarette tax will generate revenue and deter some people from picking up the habit. Even though it is in theory a declining revenue stream, it also in theory should result in fewer costs to taxpayers for smoking related illnesses over time if the tax goes up. As always, I welcome feedback on this or any other issue.

Budget — Loan for Heritage Golf Tournament in Budget: It was reported last week that this year’s proposed budget from the House Ways and Means Committee includes a loan of $10 Million to assist in keeping the Heritage Golf Tournament here in South Carolina. Apparently, the loan is being proposed as a safety net if a corporate sponsor does not step in to sponsor the tournament in near future. I do not plan to support this proposed expenditure in view of all of the other cuts to more essential functions of state government.

Additional Budget Thoughts: I have discussed the reasons for our state’s General Fund revenue shortfall and the possible remedies in past columns. I will readdress those in the coming weeks during one of our furlough weeks. In the meantime, remember that the budget process will continue after this week into late May as the budget goes from the House to the Senate and then back to the House and then to the Governor where he may veto certain items. Thus, there are a lot of uncertainties between now and the end of May as to the budget. Yet, one thing is certain as to this year’s budget, state government, and the economy: If we cannot cut unnecessary government agencies and expenditures in a down economy, then they will not be cut at all. I will do my best keeping in mind that the money is our hard earned tax dollars.

Federal Government Settlement with Norfolk Southern: This past week, we read about the Federal Government’s proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern as to the Government’s lawsuit for environmental contamination after the 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville. The proposed terms of the settlement include $4 Million being paid by Norfolk Southern to the Government’s Oil Spill and Hazardous Waste funds. Also, the local communities affected by the spill will receive 3,000 fish released into Langley Pond and some trees to be planted along Horse Creek. I am very disappointed in the proposed terms and what is being offered to the local communities affected by the spill. There will be a 30 day period to object to the proposed settlement. With other elected officials and citizens in the area, I will object to the terms proposed by the Federal Government.

Texting While Driving: On Wednesday, the House passed a bill that bans texting while driving a motor vehicle. Although the bill would have banned both texting and cell phone use while driving, opponents were able to remove the ban on cell phone use and to lower the penalties associated with texting while driving. Based on the feedback from many people in District 81, I supported both the ban on texting and the ban on non-hands free cell phone use while driving. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Card Check Legislation: Last year, the House passed legislation proposing a constitutional amendment to protect workers’ rights to secret ballots in union elections in South Carolina. This past week, the State Senate approved the bill and the House concurred with the Senate’s changes. The constitutional question will now be on the 2010 general election ballot for voters to decide in November. This amendment is strongly supported by the state’s business community. I support the bill.

Visiting with Students: This past week, I spoke to 3rd grade students from Chukker Creek School who visited the State House. Additionally, I spoke to 5th graders at St. Mary’s School. I was impressed with many of the questions that each group of students asked.

Town Meeting: I am planning a town meeting in Aiken on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at a location and time to be determined. I will post more information in next week’s column and I will ask the Aiken Standard to publicize it.

Job Fair: Early last Fall, I asked the Employment Security Commission to host a Job Fair here in greater Aiken to assist those who are looking for work. That Job Fair is set for Saturday, March 27 at Aiken Tech from 9 am to 1 pm. Please pass this information along to interested residents of Aiken County.

Road Issues: If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me. In the past seven weeks, I have received many different reports of problems and I have relayed those to the appropriate agencies.

Filing for Reelection: On a final note, I will file this week for reelection to represent House District 81. I am grateful for the privilege to serve.